And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:36-38).
Dear Lord, this has been a wonderful journey in the life of Your servant. To watch You in defense of Your people is a faith building, empowering, life-changing experience for which I give You thanks, in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today we are on the top of Mount Carmel. So are the prophets of Baal and Ashterah, eight hundred and fifty total. Only one of YAHWEH’s prophets is present – Elijah. This is what God has asked him to do, Show up for the showdown! I will send the rain. The god who answers by fire, He is God!
Producing fire was not, and still is not, a problem for God. He is the God who made fire. He can produce it whenever He will, and in the intensity that He will, and in the amount that He will. In the fiery furnace in Babylon, the Son of God stepped into the furnace and changed the nature of fire so that it had no power to harm those within the furnace; but was so hot that the heat destroyed those on the outside, who threw them in.
On Mount Carmel God’s fire raged until it destroyed even those elements that it would not, under normal circumstances, destroy! Human beings had not lit this fire, and human beings could not put it out. It burned itself out!
So what caused such a fire? I believe it was sparked by the faith of a man who took God at His Word and put his life where his faith was – on the line! When God said “Go” he did not ask why me? In simple faith he went, believing that he was the only follower of YAHWEH left. Once there, he made it plain that any victory obtained was to be accredited to God. Again and again we hear him making statements like these, “let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.” “that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” All the glory was given to God!
That is what makes a mountaintop experience genuine. God is always on the throne. The result? A fire-producing faith that even when it is shaken and knocked down, will get right back up and finish the job!
More tomorrow!